Charles Linglet is making his national team debut for Belarus. Since arriving in Minsk in 2011, he's found success on the ice and a home off of it.

Belarus has added a third Canadian to its line-up for the 2016 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championships. Joining Kevin Lalande and Geoff Platt is Montreal native Charles Linglet.

Two games in, he's picked up an assist and is holding his own.

“We don’t get to play for Canada so we figured why not take this opportunity,” Linglet said of representing Belarus. “This is my first one and it is a great experience so far and hope to make the best of it for the next couple of weeks.”

Although this is his first time representing Belarus, Linglet is no stranger to the country. He’s spent four seasons with Dynamo Minsk, the Belarusian entry in the Kontinental Hockey League.

When Linglet, Lalande and Platt joined Minsk they were all approached and invited to get a passport.

“We all signed to play for Dinamo Minsk and just relocated to Belarus and they gave us the option to get a passport to have a chance to play for the World Championship team.”

After a career in the minors in North America, Linglet followed a path to Russia before moving to Minsk where he and his family now reside.

“Minsk is one of those cities that to me is a classic city. It is a mix of a European city and a Russian city. It is a good city to adapt to life in the KHL and my family is with me and we truly enjoy it.”

For someone who traveled around a lot to play hockey, including stops in Utah, Alaska, Illinois and Las Vegas, this is as close as it has come to settling down outside of his native Canada.

Linglet enjoyed a wonderful final season in North America in 2009-10. He was named an AHL Second Team All Star and as a reward for his season was called up to play for the Edmonton Oilers at the end of the campaign. Linglet played the final five games of the season.

“They said don’t worry about anything and play the way you want to play,” Linglet recalls of the experience. “It was a wonderful experience at 27 to make the NHL and live the dream and touch it. I was happy and ready to move on.”

Moving on brought him to Russia to play for Torpedo Nizhni Novgorod for a season before landing in Minsk. 2014-15 was his best season with Dynamo Minsk when he scored 22 goals and 58 points.

This season Linglet missed six months due to a shoulder injury that required surgery. He was limited to sixteen games and is still trying to adjust.

“My injury is feeling better and better as the months go on,” he said of the injury. “Six months since I had shoulder surgery and it was a pretty big surgery. It is almost like my arm doesn’t feel the same as it used to so I have to adjust to the new movement and new feeling. It is getting there. When September hits I will be 100 per cent.”

Linglet is clearly happy where he is and not looking for things to change anytime soon.

“My family and I are pleased to be in Minsk and we love it there,” Linglet added. “I have two more seasons there and I might finish out my career there in that city. Who knows.”